Credit cards, though an easy way to have access to money without carrying around a lot of cash can become a big liability if not used prudently and carefully. Ensure that you use the card responsibly.

Also, never take the safety of your credit cards for granted. You have to exercise some common sense and vigilance to prevent credit card fraud.

Here are some general tips to follow:

1. Ensure your new credit card is in sealed condition and that the seal is not tampered with.

2. Sign on the back of your new card as soon as you receive it.

3. Monitor your account regularly either on the Internet or from call centers. Also subscribe to e-mail and mobile alerts to keep track of card usage.

4. Memorize your card's PIN number.

5. Destroy and dispose all documents that mention the card number, such as copies of receipts, airline tickets, travel itineraries, etc.

6. Personal account information should never be shared with anyone unless payment for the purchase is being done from that account.

7. Another important thing is keeping any useful information such as card number, expiry date, CVV number, and pin number, etc of your cards handy.

8. However, that does not mean that you keep the information in places where it is easily accessible. Protect your card information as you would protect your money.

9. Finally, always stay at least 40 per cent below your credit limit and review your account information either online or through the credit card company's call center frequently. This will help you identify any suspicious transactions immediately.

Shopwiki is a fantastic site. I was looking for a new laptop and Shopwiki should be my first stop if I want to save money. To be frank, I took a while to browse the site because they have so many products and I am constantly distracted and tempted to buy.

The site has a very clean and user-friendly interface, unlike most online shops. It functions more like a search engine. You get to search for a particular product, for example computers, keyboards or laptops and you’ll be show a list of products with different prices and different online shop.

This is a boon for consumers as they can compare the various options before placing orders. I like the fact that I can learn and evaluate each product before purchasing.

Just imagine asking a sales representative in a retail store for the following info when picking a laptop: buying guide, list of recommended products, top picks products, tips on how to get the best, pros and cons and other info to help me get the right laptop.

I doubt they will entertain you but all these info are freely available at your fingertips when you visit Shopwiki. If you are interested in buying any digital products, hop over to Shopwiki.

These schemes promise to reduce a consumer’s debt 50% or more by enrollment in a debt negotiation program. Con artists convince victims that creditors will cease pursuing repayment.

In fact, collection efforts not only do not stop; they often become more relentless. In reality, these plans seldom if ever lessen debts, and they often inflict severe harm on borrowers, sometimes forcing them to file for bankruptcy.

How the scam works:

Credit “counselors” claim they have unique alliances with creditors, and will use these special relationships to negotiate debt for a fraction of the amount originally owed.

Debtors are told to suspend making regular payments, and instead to send funds to the debt management firm—often a for-profit firm posing as a friendly non-profit organization—that claims it will deposit the money into a “trust” account dedicated to paying creditors.

Counselors promise they will use their clout to halt annoying calls and letters from creditors. Debtors are thus duped into believing the advisors are applying the trust account funds to pay their now-reduced outstanding debts.

In reality, the counselors first divert hundreds of dollars as fees, which they do not always disclose. Consumer payments are neither applied to the trust accounts nor sent to creditors, until these fees are paid in full.

Consequently, creditors often receive nothing for months and pile on late fees and penalties and may boost interest rates. Many borrowers are shocked to discover that their debts actually increase after enrolling in these programs. Often, unpaid creditors pursue collection more vigorously, and may sue debtors who have defaulted.

This is a really desperate credit card story.

Laurie Redmond thought she was making a smart decision when she quit her job in 2005 to become a mortgage broker. Her company, a large bank, had recently been bought out, and layoffs were imminent. Rather than compete with hundreds of other job seekers in the same profession.

Until then, Redmond, of Wilmington, Del., had been prudent with money. A single mother, she earned a good salary and spent less than she made. Her savings included several CDs and a money-market account totaling about $7,000; a $2,500 savings bond for her toddler, Cindy; and another $7,000 in a 401(k). She paid off the balance on her two credit cards faithfully every month.

The new job, which was based entirely on commissions, was "the biggest financial mistake of my life," she says. Over the next 12 months, as home sales and mortgage lending were beginning to plateau, Redmond earned $16,000 -- less than a third of her former salary -- and shelled out more than $1,000 a month in marketing expenses.

Determined to make the job work, "I hit my savings," says Redmond. During that year, she ran through all of it, including the savings bond -- redeemed for a fraction of the face amount -- and her 401(k), on which she had to pay taxes and a 10% penalty for early withdrawal. After those accounts bled out, she turned to credit cards. Redmond ended up with eight cards. On one, the card company yanked Redmond's credit and then set a hair-raising 33% rate on her balance.

Her situation is reflective of many Americans, especially those working in the finance sector.

The credit crunch has affected many Americans, even those with excellent credit histories. However, those who are classified as subprime, or bad credit, are the worst hit.

These days, credit card companies are so risk averse that they no longer dare to make loans or extend credit. They rather sit on depositors' money and federal cash injection than do business and make profit.

This has caused hardships for retailers who cannot clear their inventory as people have little cash nor credit to spend. Businesses are also finding it hard to pay their employees with the banks curtailing their credit.

There are simply too many hoops and hurdles for people with bad credit at the moment. Even if they manage to secure a credit card, the credit limit is often lowered or they are forced to open fixed deposits first.

Help is on hand. BadCreditOffers.com is among the handful of online sites which provides a comprehensive comparison of credit cards for people with bad credit. It is very popular and has helped many people, if the millions of visits since it launched in 2005 is any indication.

The site now features rankings, interest rates, and other key data on bad credit credit cards from major credit card issuers. Users can just click a link to each offer’s online application in a quick and easy manner.

Current interest rates for credit cards for bad credit start as low as 7.9% and go as high as 19.92%, with many offering applicants a credit decision in less than a minute of application.

If you are interested in bad credit loans, visit the site to find out more.

Rising non-performing loans (15 per cent in some cases) have forced several banks to issue credit cards linked to fixed deposits (FDs).

This not only secures the lending, but also allows banks to issue a credit card to a person who is otherwise not eligible.

In this scheme, banks ask applicants to open an FD account with a minimum amount and an auto-renewal facility. The credit limit on the card is pegged at 85 per cent of the FD amount.

The depositor can only withdraw interest as the bank marks a lien on the entire fixed deposit amount. If the cardholder fails to pay the outstanding amount on the credit card within 90 days, the bank has the right to liquidate the FD and set off the credit card charges against it.

What do you guys think of this scheme? I will rather settle for debit cards if I am being forced to open fixed deposits first.

Credit card frauds are on the rise these days. The credit card number, the Card Verification Value (CVV) or the Card Security Code (CSC), date of birth, credit card limit, residential address (stored on your card's magnetic tape) is all that is needed for someone to misuse your credit card.

Being vigilant while using your credit card is the only way of preventing fraud. Here are some tips.

Card Verification Value (CVV) or the Card Security Code (CSC)

The CSC or CVV number is a security feature for credit or debit card transactions, giving increased protection against credit card fraud. It is not embossed like the card number, and is always a group of numbers printed on the back signature panel of the card.

This provides a level of protection to the bank/card holder, in that a corrupt merchant cannot simply capture the magnetic stripe details of a card and use them later for 'card not present' purchases over the phone, mail order or Internet.

Whenever you use your card, always ensure that the transaction is completed in front of you and that no details are written down by the merchant. Do not provide photocopies of both sides of the credit card to anyone.

The card verification value (CVV) which is required for online transactions is printed on the reverse of the card. Anyone can use the card for online purchases if the information is available with them.

Using cards online

When using your credit cards for making purchases online:

Ensure that Web site is a secure site. This can be done by checking whether the site is secured by a reputable net authentication agency like VeriSign.

Do not click on links in e-mail seeking details of your account; they could be phishing e-mails from fraudsters. Most reputed companies will ask you to visit their Web site directly.

Do not give out your credit card details on unknown or suspicious Web sites.

Stolen card and suspicious transactions

The first and foremost thing to do, after you have confirmed that you have lost your wallet or card or have seen suspicious transactions on your credit card statement, is to call up the bank's 24-hour call centre and deactivate the card or inform the customer service representative about the suspicious transactions.

The representative will help you file a complaint in regard to this. In case of lost cards, check if any transactions have been made on the card and if there are any; inform the bank about the ones that are not yours.

This has to be done within a particular number of days which varies between 30 and 60days according to different banks.